Non-fatal suicidal behaviour, depression and poverty among young men living in low-resource communities in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a serious public health problem in low- and middle-income countries. Understanding the context- and gender-specific risk factors for non-fatal suicidal behaviour is the cornerstone of evidence-based public health interventions to reduce suicide. Poverty and symptoms of depression are well established risk factors for suicidal behaviour. However, little is understood about how proximal economic factors (such as losing one's job, or food insecurity) may confound the effects of symptoms of depression to increase the risk of non-fatal suicidal behaviour in vulnerable populations, such as young men living under conditions of endemic poverty. The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which a wide range of poverty-related variables account for non-fatal suicidal behaviour independent of, or in addition to, symptoms of depression among young men living in low-resource communities in South Africa (SA). METHODS: Data were collected from a clustered sample of 647 young men living in low-resource communities in the Western Cape province of SA. Multivariate regressions were used to identify the associations between poverty-related measures, symptoms of depression, and past-month prevalence of non-fatal suicidal behaviour. RESULTS: Non-fatal suicidal behaviour in the last month was reported by 47 (6.13%) participants: suicidal ideation (n = 43; 5.97%); suicide plan (n = 5; 0.77%); suicide attempt (n = 4; 0.62%), and deliberate self-harm without intent to die (n = 4; 0.62%). Past-month prevalence of non-fatal suicidal behaviour was significantly associated with particular dimensions of poverty (living in a home without a toilet on the premises, having previously been fired, and food insecurity), but not with other dimensions of poverty (such as prolonged unemployment and low levels of income). However, symptoms of depression were a more significant predictor of non-fatal suicidal behaviour than any measure of poverty (aOR=1.093, 95% CI=1.058-1.129, p < .000). CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are more strongly associated with non-fatal suicidal behaviour than a range of proximal and distal economic factors among young men living under conditions of endemic poverty in South Africa. This has important public health implications and highlights the importance of increasing young men's access to psychiatric services and targeting depression as an integral component of suicide prevention in low resource communities.

Effects of repeated ingestion of large quantities of acetylsalicylic acid on membranous bone growth and dentin apposition in young monkeys.

Four daily doses of ASA were administered by mouth to young growing monkeys which received six injections of lead acetate every seven days as an intravital stain to indicate sites of bone and dentin mineralization. Microscopic evaluation of the inhibitory effects on membranous bone growth and dentin apposition was made. Four doses of ASA at 325 mg/kg inhibited membranous bone growth as well as the remodeling of the Haversian canal systems for about 16-18 days, with incomplete recovery during the experimental period. No comparable effect on dentinogenesis was observed. This preliminary study indicates that four doses of ASA at this level caused a toxic effect directly on membranous bone growth but not on dentin apposition.

Remodeling of compact bone studied with lead acetate as an intravital stain.

Remodeling of the osteons or Haversian canal system in compact bone was studied in young monkeys that received serial injections of lead acetate as an intravital strain. The successive stages of the formation of an osteon have been demonstrated. The rate of the filling of the lamellar bone decelerated as the lumen of the Haversian canal decreased. The total formation time of individual osteons was estimated.

Effects of repeated oral doses of demethylchlortetracycline on bones and dentin of young rhesus monkeys.

Seven oral doses of demethylchlortetracycline were administered to monkeys that received serial injections of lead acetate to intravitally stain calcification sites. Bone growth was greatly inhibited, whereas dentin apposition was spared from the cumulative toxicity of demethylchlortetracycline. Cessation of bone growth and its duration could be correlated with serum levels.

Remodeling of cancellous bone in young monkeys.

Remodeling of the trabeculae in cancellous bone was studied in young monkeys that received multiple weekly injections of lead acetate as a marker. Resorption of old bone and deposition of new bone were demonstrated. The rate of deposition of new bone varied at different sites of the same trabeculae and also at different time intervals of the same site. The total formation time of new bone to fill the trabecular space was estimated.

Studies on the epidemiology of subperiodic Brugia malayi in Malaysia: problems in its control.

The dynamics of the transmission of subperiodic Brugia malayi in a typical endemic area in Malaysia was studied over a period of 4 years. Mass chemotherapeutic control with diethylcarbamazine citrate was found to be inefficient, new cases being detected even after the fifth treatment cycle of 6 mg/kg X 6 days per cycle. This is in marked contrast to the situation in periodic b. malayi areas where mass treatment efficiently controlled the infection. The disparity in results in these two areas is attributed to zoonotic transmission of subperiodic B. malayi from non-human primates where a mean infection rate of 76.3% was found.

Orthodontic treatment of the primary dentition.

Five patients were treated for corrections of problems in the primary dentition. Anterior and posterior crossbite, deep overbite malocclusion, and overbite malocclusion were treated with simple removable orthodontic appliances. Early orthodontic treatment for these patients helped resolve any functional problems that could interfere with later growth and development, such as health and function of the TMJ complex.

Histochemical differentiation of Brugia, Wuchereria, Dirofilaria and Breinlia microfilariae.

Histochemical demonstration of acid phosphatase activity in microfilariae gives sufficiently characteristic and consistent results for the differentiation of even closely related species. No difference could be detected among nocturnally periodic, nocturnally subperiodic and diurnally subperiodic Brugia malayi, but they could readily be distinguished from B. pahangi. Similarly, Dirofilaria repens could be readily distinguished from D. immitis and B. booliati from B. sergenti. The enzyme distribution pattern of a Malaysian rural strain of Wuchereria bancrofti was different from those of other regions.

Secular trend of menarcheal age in southern Chinese girls.

Southern Chinese girls aged 11 years and 9 months to 12 years and 3 months in Hong Kong have a mean menarcheal age of 11.50 years (standard deviation of 0.47) using the recollection method. Highly significant differences are found when compared to the 12-year-old girls in Hong Kong studied in the past decades. Therefore, a secular trend of earlier menarcheal age is demonstrated.

Secular trend in skeletal maturation in southern Chinese girls in Hong Kong.

Southern Chinese girls aged 11 years 9 months to 12 years 3 months in Hong Kong have a mean skeletal age of 12.57 years assessed from the left hand and wrist radiographs by the Greulich and Pyle Atlas Method. Significant secular trend of earlier skeletal maturation was demonstrated with p less than or equal to 0.001. Such difference was contributed by improved socio-economic, nutritional and socio-hygienic conditions during the past decades.

Lead acetate uptake in the nasal septum during midfacial growth in Macaca fascicularis.

Growth of the bone structures of the nasal septum was studied in two young Macaca fascicularis (human age, 8 to 9 years) that received serial injections of lead acetate as a maker. The nasal septum in these monkeys is a thin, fragile, but morphologically complex, structure. A number of adjustment sites to the lengthening of the midface were observed, namely, at the cranial surface, at the junction of the bulbous perpendicular plate of the vomer and the nasal septum, and at the inferior junction of the vomer and palate. No apparent growth site was present at the interface of the septal cartilage with the vomer. Results suggest that the nasal septum in Macaca fascicularis adapts to growth changes in the midface.